COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Programs and Practice: Snapshots From the Field.

Between Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials conducted 2 rapid queries to collect information from the field regarding the status of COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing (CI/CT) programs and practice. These short surveys were distributed to senior deputies in state and territorial health agencies, yielding a response rate of 45.8% (November 2020) and 40.7% (April 2021). Findings indicated that CI/CT staff roles and assigned functions varied across jurisdictions, as did staffing levels/capacity, approaches for linking individuals to social supports, and program changes that were planned or underway. Agency-reported staffing levels/capacity and programmatic challenges changed over time, highlighting the dynamic nature of CI/CT program practice and implementation. While findings from the surveys cannot be generalized to the national level, they provide critical insights from the field on CI/CT program implementation, challenges, and changes in response to the evolving COVID-19 epidemic in the United States.

COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing: Early Lessons Learned and Future Opportunities.

CONTEXT: Case investigation and contact tracing are fundamental public health strategies for controlling and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Although the principles behind these strategies are not new, the capacity and operational requirements needed to support disease investigation during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic are unprecedented. This article analyzes the implementation of case investigation and contact tracing in controlling COVID-19 transmission during the early stages of the US pandemic response (January 20 through August 31, 2020). PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION: Governmental public health agencies mobilized to expand case investigation and contact tracing programs in the early months of the pandemic. In doing so, they encountered a range of challenges that included rapidly scaling up the workforce; developing and subsequently revising guidance and protocols specific to COVID-19 as more was learned about the virus over time; defining job functions; encouraging public acceptance of and participation in case investigation and contact tracing; and assessing the utility of these activities during both the containment and mitigation phases of outbreak response. COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing programs presented an array of opportunities for health departments to innovate, especially around technology to support public health efforts, as well as opportunities to address health equity and advance community resilience. CONCLUSION: Lessons learned from disease intervention specialists, guidance and resources from federal agencies and national partners, and peer-to-peer exchange of promising practices can support jurisdictions encountering early implementation challenges. Further research is needed to assess COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing program models and innovations, as well as strategies for implementing these activities during containment and mitigation phases.